Actualizing Inclusive Leadership.

Elevating the voices of employees and the commitment to creating an atmosphere of belonging in the workplace is vital to the success of teams and organizations in the public sector. These ideas are at the foundation of inclusive leadership. The incorporation of discussing needed improvements in representation hinges on acting and implementing those changes.

Your organization should have a diversity, inclusion, and equity plan already in practice. That is a good way to begin the conversation and start to focus on what specifically your organization might need to enhance to better serve the community. Through these discussions, some employees might display insight and leadership qualities, which will be an asset. Every role in the public sector has its own responsibility. As a manager, it is important to support those roles and self-evaluate your duties.

Qualities that Lead to Change

The Public Service Leadership Model – outlined by the Partnership for Public Service – identifies four leadership qualities most important in current public organization managers. These qualities have their challenges, especially those that lead toward the conversation of which voices in the workplace and community aren’t being represented properly but are valuable with respects to the changes they help institute.

• Practicing self-awareness: Your personal development will enhance your interactions with others. As a leader in your organization, you set the tone of the workplace. Examining your ethics, values, emotional intelligence, and motivations helps you recognize best practices in yourself and, in turn, those you lead. 
• Engaging with team members: The easiest way to do this is through collaboration. Building rapport and empowering others ensures that all voices on a team are heard, balanced, and represented. This can also be explored by employees on a personal level through professional development and task autonomy. Empowered and confident individuals can lead to a strong team dynamic. 
• Leading change: This can have a lot of different aspects, but the most important is your show of support to the team. Employees need space to envision ideas, take risks, and have approval of their success or encouragement through their failure. The strategic goals begin with management. The accomplishments of the team are also your success.
• Achieving measurable results: How are the changes being made or need to be made in your organization going to improve the lives of your employees and the community you serve? This can come from data or conversations but needs to be documented in a way to illustrate progress transparently, thereby fostering confidence for all those involved.

Each level of leadership has its role. These four qualities hold different concerns for team leaders, organization leaders, and emerging leaders, but trust and commitment to change are the foundational undercurrents.

Voice That You Are Learning

Exploring how the qualities of inclusive leadership apply to your situation is only the beginning of the journey. As conversations unfold and dialogue about inclusion improves, it is important to display the concept of your own education on biases. This comes down to a leader demonstrating humility and empathy.

An article about inclusive leadership featured in the Harvard Business Review states, “Humility encourages others to share their feedback. Empathy and perspective taking gives people hope that a leader cares about them and takes their views into account, rather than barreling on with preconceptions or a narrow set of ideas about their perspectives.” Humility and empathy take the “theory” of inclusive leadership and puts it into practice. Asking for advice and admitting you have biases that need to be worked through, no matter the size, illustrates to your team that you are on this journey of discovery and actualization together.

Creating the Change

How do you transition from self-discovery as a leader to the implementation of inclusion practices? Fast Company, one of the world’s leading business media brands that focuses on innovation in technology and leadership, states, “The U.S. Census estimates that within a couple of decades over half of all Americans will be members of a racial or ethnic minority group, which means creating more inclusive workplaces will be vital to keeping their future workforces happy, engaged, and productive.” The sooner the public sector can institute the best and adapting inclusion policies possible the better.

Again, the Partnership for Public Service discusses implementation best practices. The article, “In her own words” details three approaches to help include inclusive leadership in various organizations.

• The “whole person approach” considers work-life balance when it comes to performance, responsibilities, and biases. Organizations should explore creating a safe space in their work environment, be open-minded about working remotely options, and provide professional development opportunities based on the individual.  
• Taking a “systems approach” to inclusion is based on giving support, advocating, and acknowledging positive productivity. Ensure that opportunities like mentorships and coach programs are available and are being used by all individuals interested create a network of support and encouragement, especially for those whose voices have been overlooked in the past.
• Your organization needs to capacity for adaptability. Not only does this include recognizing changes and new opportunities, but it also encourages your group to discuss new skills they have acquired, accomplishments they are proud of, and chances for tasks to be delegated in a more balanced way.

The Promise of Evolving Solutions

Critically evaluating our society leads us to difficult questions and challenging conversations but puts us in the headspace for ingenious solutions. And these solutions will change as our communities and citizens do. By practicing inclusive leadership, you can help your team grow as a unit and as individuals. You’ll also create a workplace of belonging, which improves employee retention rates, productivity, and overall service to the community. But diversity, equity, and inclusion can’t just be talking points. They also need to be turning points to help us all become better people and more attuned to what all members of our community